Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor

Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor — naval-monitored corridor through the Gulf of Aden with eastbound and westbound lanes, established in 2009 to group merchant traffic for naval surveillance and convoy escort. UKMTO and MSCHOA coordinate transit registration; CMF Task Forces, EU NAVFOR, NATO, and individual nation patrols cover the corridor. The IRTC reduces piracy risk for merchant traffic substantially compared with off-corridor routing. Vessels register intended transit time, schedule, and key vessel particulars before entering the corridor and report position regularly during transit.